By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, March 29: The exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other noted Nobel laureates on Saturday urged Russia for an immediate end to its attack on Ukraine and demanded an explicit vow from both Russia and NATO leaders to ensure that no nuclear weapons be used as part of this ongoing conflict, or any other military confrontations in future.
The signatories in the open letter said they rejected war and nuclear weapons, “The invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian disaster for its people. The entire world is facing the greatest threat in history: a large-scale nuclear war, capable of destroying our civilization and causing vast ecological damage across the Earth.”
The petition spearheaded by the International Physics for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which won the Nobel in 1985, demanded immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine. “We call on all our fellow citizens of the world to join us in protecting our planet, home for all of us, from those who threaten to destroy it,” the letter also stated.
“The entire world is facing the greatest threat in history: a large-scale nuclear war, capable of destroying our civilization and causing vast ecological damage across the Earth,” the letter warned. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now led to deaths of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, and millions of refugees have now fled across the border into neighbouring countries.
“The time to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons is now. It is the only way to guarantee that the inhabitants of the planet will be safe from this existential threat. It is either the end of nuclear weapons, or the end of us,” the letter concluded.
In a statement of solidarity with Ukrainian people, the octogenarian leader last month said that he is deeply saddened by the conflict in Ukraine. “Problems and disagreements are best resolved through dialogue. Genuine peace comes about through mutual understanding and respect for each other’s wellbeing. We must not lose hope. The 20th century was a century of war and bloodshed. The 21st century must be a century of dialogue,” Dalai Lama further said.
The open letter was signed by ten other Nobel winners including Jody Williams, Kailash Satyarthi, and Óscar Arias Sánchez, as well as the International Peace Bureau (1910), the American Friends Service Committee (1947), and the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs (1995).
One Response
I full heartedly support this demand for a promise not to use nuclear weapons.